5 things science has learned about betta fish /  by Kolby Skidmore

  1. Betta fish thrive the most on a blood worm diet. This high protein diet allows the beta fish to spawn more efficiently.

  2. Betta fish will synchronize genes with the fish they are fighting.

  3. Blue fin males are more aggressive then other colors of betta fish. Think about how blue light travels in murky water.

  4. Scientists have discovered that Betta fish were less aggressive when given fluoxetine for 14 weeks.

  5. There is a peaceful betta type fish. - The peaceful betta or crescent betta, Betta imbellis, is native to Southeast Asia, where it occurs naturally in Southern Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and has been introduced to Singapore.

““Betta fish are often seen living in bowls that are too small to allow for normal swimming and hiding behavior,” ”
— Dr. Krista Keller
little-girl-holds-glass-with-blue-fish-pet-store-U66YKMW.jpg

Don’t be this girl.

Betta Fish deserve better.

Betta Basics - You now know betta! /  by Kolby Skidmore

Bettas thrive in a mostly neutral water with a pH balance of 6.5-7.5

Betta fish need at least 2.5 gallons of water to not lose their marbles. Fish need to be able to work out their fins and swim! When betta fish are kept in small containers they will bite their own tails. It’s pretty gnarly.

Betta fish are a warm water fish. The temperature of their water should be around 76-80 degrees F. This means their tanks need a heater. Betta fish come from the murky waters of Thailand, and therefore are used to warmer temperatures. Betta fish won’t do much of anything if their tanks are too cold for them. It’s important for the health of your betta fish to keep a heater in your tank circulating so that the water stays at an optimal range of temperatures of 76 degrees F to 80 degrees F.

Betta fish enjoy darker water.


Betta Breeding /  by Kolby Skidmore

So you wanna breed bettas? Are you emotionally ready to breed bettas?

Betta breeding is a really rewarding, and amazing process, but it is time consuming.

You have to be fully prepared to take care of many fragile betta fry (fish babies).

Betta fry raising is no easy task. Pristine water conditions are needed for the fry to develop properly. They also need a tiny food source that provides them with the right balance of nutrients to grow. In my opinion fry have better outcomes when feeding some sort of live food to them very young. I feed my fry baby bring shrimp after 1 week of life.

The fish babies are adorable, but again they are super fragile. The slightest disruption in their tank can cause catastrophe.

Fry survive best in warm waters with some aeration in their tank. I usually keep my fry tanks at 80 degrees. 80.2 to be exact. I haven’t studied if this is the optimum temperature, but it’s worked for me.

Fry grow when water is clean. However water changes can get tricky. It’s a balance. You really only want to put water in your fry tank that is basically identical to the conditions in your tank. You can do this by filling up buckets with water and your water conditioner and letting it age for a couple of days. I usually put an air pump in this bucket so that I am pumping air into this water for the tiny fry. It’s no easy feat to clean a fry tank especially when the babies are newborns.

Again, any water disturbance can kill of many fry.

 

Where to buy a betta? /  by Kolby Skidmore

You can always venture to your LFS (Local Fish Store) and buy a betta!

Or you can purchase one online.

I’ve bought many fish online and have yet to have one be dead on arrival.

There’s many established US betta breeders.

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